Uptown Brothers Brewing shuts the doors, puts the business up for sale

Uptown Brothers Brewing, a restaurant and craft beer bar that opened in May 2010, closed its doors for good right after midnight this morning, a victim of the difficult economy.

"We came close to making it; we were at about 80 percent of our break-even number, but we have no more resources to get us over the last hump," owner Paul Lumbye posted on Facebook in a goodbye message to customers.

Business had improved over last year, but an extremely slow month of July forced him to to pull the plug, he adds in an interview with Westword: "This isn't a referendum on craft beer. I would do it the same way if I were going to do it again."

Lumbye, an attorney and medal-winning home brewer, had planned to brew his own beer on site eventually. In fact, he once posted on his blog that: "Brewing my own beer is the ONLY reason I am in the restaurant business. I had ZERO desire to run a restaurant, outside of that restaurant providing me the only realistic opportunity available to me, a 56 year old home brewing attorney with no commercial brewing experience, to brew my beer on a commercial basis."

Last February, Lumbye finally purchased the equipment he needed, but never go to use it. That equipment, along with the business itself is now for sale, and Lumbye says he believes someone else may be able to pick up where he left off -- and just in time for the Great American Beer Festival, which runs September 29 through October 1.

Here is the text of a message he posted on the front door.

Friends and Neighbors:

We are extremely sorry to have to announce that Uptown Brothers is closed indefinitely, pending our efforts to sell to someone with the wherewithal to take the place to the next level. We just ran out of money before we got there, even though the finish line is in sight.

Several potential buyers have expressed an interest in continuing the business under the Uptown Brothers name and format, so it may return in at least a somewhat familiar fashion, but then again, nothing is concrete. (If you're interested in buying a pretty cool restaurant with great prospects and most of the hard work of start-up done, call Mark Valente at Sanborn & Company, (303) 220-7919, ext 109. Football season and the Great American Beer Festival are right around the corner, so now is a great time to jump in!)

We want to thank you all for your support and patronage; we just wish there were more of you! Truly it has been a pleasure serving you and we hope you had fun and good times here--we sure did, even if today is a sad day.